Service with a Smile!

I had the occasion to speak with a young man the other day who had just returned from Afghanistan. I'm always in awe of the young men and women who choose to put their country first, ahead of their personal needs and wants. I find it easy to sincerely express my gratitude to them, and I hope I pass on the feeling that always overwhelms me when I'm in the presence of a true hero.

In our conversation he relayed some wonderful information. I was amazed that he found a teaching lesson being sent to another country to defend our freedom. His trip opened his eyes to the comforts we take for granted everyday. I had to smile as he described he'd never look at indoor plumbing and the sanitary conditions we enjoy the same.

His job in Afghanistan involved security of the caravans transporting soldiers and supplies across the country, so he got to see a great deal of the landscape and the culture. It impacted him that often he would see a water supply where a woman would be bathing her sheep or some other animal, then just down from her would be an Afghan bathing, and just below that someone drawing drinking water. I watched the passion in his eyes as he relayed this experience and realized how life changing his service had become. He had truly learned to appreciate what God has given us in this great country we live in. The freedom he fought for took on a whole new meaning.

It's a pleasure to meet a 20 something year old man with world experience. He was sincere when he expressed his feelings about how everyone his age should have that kind of encounter. His mind and his world view had changed, never to be returned, stretched by the travel of his service. He was happy to explain he felt we take to much for granted and his new appreciation for the freedom bequeathed to us by our forefathers. That young man understands our freedom is not a right, it's earned, and we have to fight for it everyday.

Encounters like this fuel my passion for freedom. After hearing his story and looking at the sincerity of that young man's eyes, it becomes intolerable to sit and watch as Washington legislates away our hard earned freedom. Big government and enormous taxation erodes our liberty. Entitlements and subsidies oxidizes the spirit our country was founded upon. I'm going to take a moment and relearn how blessed we are and stand against everything that threatens our God given rights granted to us by the sacrifices of our founding fathers. I have to thank that selfless young man, just barely out of high school, he reminded me that our country is based on what we can give, not what we can get!

God Bless!
Capt. Bill

PS To my son and all the men of the 3/265th ADA in Camp Fenty, Afghanistan, Thank you for your sacrifice. Stay safe, and God Bless!